Site Description

The Ethicon, Inc., facility is situated on approximately 90-acre campus
located within a highly developed suburban area between U.S. Route 22
and U.S. Route 202/206 in Bridgewater Township, Somerset County, New Jersey.
It is bordered on the east by Peters Brook. The adjacent Property to the
east, previously owned by Ethicon, was sold to SJP Properties (SJP) in
1985. SJP built office complex with several office buildings, a parking
garage, and various parking lots. A public high school and a golf course
are located north and south of the site, respectively. Residential areas
are located west and northeast of the site.

The Ethicon facility was used to manufacture surgical needles and sutures
and has been in operation since 1960s. Currently, the site is used for
office work, research, storage, and limited amount of manufacturing.

Potential Threats and Contaminants

High level of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) was discovered in groundwater
during the investigation of the Ethicon site in mid 1980s. The Needle
Area has been identified as a historic source of PCE; this area was used
to degrease wire with the solvent prior to processing. Significant quantities
of PCE were used between 1972 and the early 1980s. Two 550-gallon above-ground
storage tanks were used to store virgin and waste PCE from 1972 to 1980.
Prior to and after that period, PCE was obtained and disposed of in 55-gallon
drums. PCE use was discontinued at Ethicon in the mid-1980s.

Cleanup Approach and Progress

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has overseen
the investigation of over 30 separate areas of concern (AOCs) at the current
site and on the adjacent property now owned by SJP. NJDEP has approved
no further action for all soil AOCs. Groundwater remediation has been
underway since 1987. Remediation initially consisted of a pumping system
on the east side of the facility, which discharged pumped water to the
sanitary sewer without treatment. Water treatment prior to sanitary sewer
discharge was included several years later. A dual-phase vapor extraction
system was added in 1993 and shut down after PCE removal rates declined
in 1999. The pump and treat system was transitioned to an enhanced bioremediation
approach from 1998 to 2002.

Although the pumping system was shut down in 2002, all components were
left in place as a contingency measure. Enhanced bioremediation via molasses
injection and nano-scale zero-valent iron (ZVI) have been used since 2002
to reduce both source area PCE mass and downgradient groundwater contaminant
concentrations and is considered to be the final remedy for groundwater.

NJDEP has identified a number of additional AOCs & Tanks that require
further investigation and has requested Ethicon to submit additional information
to address the stat's concerns. Also, NJDEP recently approved a Vapor
Intrusion Sampling Workplan submitted by Ethicon for both, on and off-site
to fully evaluate the potential for vapor intrusion pathway to indoor
air. Remedial measures, if required, will be considered based on the results
both investigations.